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Thursday, November 27, 2014

*I do, I do!!!* LOL. Okay, so we all love feeling like we got something for a great price, right? But for many consumers this time of year, that means braving the outside world with the hordes of other crazy shoppers. For those of us who prefer eBooks--well, I have a deal for you! Well, a few deals! lol

First off... Happy Thanksgiving!

Dreamspinner Press has all the titles on their website on sale 25% off! So, if you haven't read it yet, The Experiment is only $5.24! Plus, did you know it's out as an audiobook? Yes, it is!! It's not part of the sale, but if you like your books for listening to in the car, this option might be for you. Or hey, go look at the absolute ton of books they're constantly producing--including many from my favorite authors, too!

I'm going to put all my self-published titles available on ARe 25% off! Since it isn't as easy to do a discount on Amazon, anyone who buys Pricolici, Picked at the Peak, or Burden of Secrets on Amazon can email me at anordwell (at) live.com for a free copy of Heated Blood in pdf, epub, or mobi format. Please make sure you put the book title in the subject so it doesn't get filtered to my junk!

And did you know you can get 3 of my stories to download, totally free? You can find them on ARe or Gayauthors.org. Both places require a membership to download, but if you just can't do that, email me! I'm always happy to share copies. And you're more than welcome to share these free eBooks with anyone else you think might enjoy them!

I hope everyone enjoys the deals and gets some great reading time in! But wait... is that all I have to give? Oh no! It's not! I'm giving away a $5 Amazon gift card to one person who comments on this blog post. Tell me what you plan to buy (even if it's not my book, lol!) or you can tell me your favorite holiday tradition from this time of year, wherever you're from! It could be hiding from the hordes of crazy shoppers (sooo me!) to braving the elements and insanity with friends and family to whatever tradition you've grown up with or started with your family--and yes, even if they aren't blood related, it still counts. So spill, and you might be the lucky winner of the $5 Amazon gift card!

(Contest runs from 12:01 AM on 11/27 through 11:59 PM on 12/1. Winner will be announced 12/2 at noon, PST.)

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Another week, here already! I swear, they just keep going so fast. So this week I was inspired by having a character slip down. Just how and where... well, read on!

Fortitude Part Eight

Slogging through a jungle-like forest was much harder than walking
down the street. Plus, I’d never walked all day without pause. Wildman might
look like a half-starved waif, but he moved like a creature born to the wild
and was never out of breath.

My mouth was as desiccated, but I dared not allow more than sip
at our water supply. We were so close. We’d stumbled over a broken road, the
smooth stones crumbling under the progress of the creeping vegetation, but
Wildman wouldn’t let us walk on it.

“Bad,” he’d called it. He used that word a lot. Teddy kept
trying to pry information out of him for his book, but Wildman shared few
words. I had to wonder if that was because he didn’t want to talk to us, or
because he couldn’t.

The trees were long since gone, but Wildman took us from cover
to cover, using shrubs I didn’t think would hide a mouse, much less a man. No
wonder his stalking had gone unnoticed for so long. The sun was overhead,
beating down mercilessly, by the time the horizon was broken by jagged spires
of rotted metal.

“The city,” I whispered. My dream—the culmination of years
of planning—was so close to being fulfilled. We started hiking through a
thicket of bushes that reeked and scratched at any exposed skin. The branches
were woven underfoot in a springy mat, promising a turned ankle. “Be careful,”
I told Teddy.

“I’m fine,” he said crossly. “Worry about yourself.” I
stumbled into a small hole, and my foot got stuck. I freed it with a jerk,
grunting.

“See?” Teddy pushed past me as I tried to push my foot back
into my boot.

I hated it when he was cranky. I didn’t have any more
chocolate buns for him, either. Buried inside the bush were some white flowers
growing up from the ground I hadn’t noticed before I hunched down. I reached to
grab one, intending to pluck it for Teddy to put in his buttonhole, when voices
shouting startled me.

I jerked my head up before my entire body went stiff. I
could barely see through the poky branches, but I could see people had
surrounded Wildman and Teddy. They were calling out, but I couldn’t understand
them.

“No!” Teddy reared back, yanking his arm away. “Will!” He
spun around, fighting to keep them away, and then he disappeared from sight. I
stared in shock, frozen in silence.

Where did he go? I longed to scream his name. In my head, I
rushed to his aid a thousand times. But I couldn’t move—not when he was lost to
sight, not when Wildman was captured despite biting and screeching, not even
when midday turned to afternoon and afternoon faded into evening.

Only once night fell was I able to unlock my muscles. I’d
been crouched down for so long my entire body burned.

“What the hell?” I prayed this was just a nightmare, but
when I pinched my thigh, I knew I was awake. Blood smeared my trousers, still
welling from punctures in my thumb and forefinger I’d never even felt. There
must have been something in that plant, either it had spines, or I’d been
bitten by some kind of bug and the toxin just wore off.

Whatever happened, I wasn’t frozen any longer, and I had to
find Teddy. I fumbled with my pack. I needed the lantern. My brain was racing,
lighting it was no trouble as I sent a wave of energy to the wick. The blue
flare of light lit the encroaching dark. I winced, and tried to tamp it down,
but for the first time in a very long
time, I had little control of my mental powers.

Picking my way up to the top of the hill took longer than I
could tolerate. My nerves were jangling by the time I made it. The bushes ended
at the edge of a slope of bare earth that led down to the very edge of the city
we’d been trying to reach. Faint twinkles of light broke the night.

There were people out here.

And they’d taken my Teddy.

Anger sent another surge to my lantern, and that’s when I
heard it. A shriek broke the silence and then the air began to buffet me. I
looked up in horror. The gigantic bird-like predator was nearly on top of me. I
flung myself backward, the lantern going flying. I slipped over the crest, just
like Teddy had. I tried to keep my grunts and groans in as I spun and tumbled.
That damnable beast hunted by sight, but Wildman had insisted on silence as
well.

My ribs ached, and I’d wrenched one of my wrists scrabbling
at the ground, trying to stop my fall. I finally managed, but not until I was
close to the bottom. I panted, face down in the pungent dirt, afraid to turn.

Not being able to see if it was coming for me was horrible.
My tension mounted until I nearly screamed just to find an iota of relief. I
had no idea how long had passed, but eventually I had to know, even if it was
perched above, just waiting for me to make one ill-advised movement to expose
my resting place.

But nothing blocked out the silvery light of the moon, or
the blazing pinpricks of the stars that clustered thick in the sky. I breathed
a sigh of relief, wiping my sweaty, filthy face on the sleeve of my shirt. It
was starting to cool, so I grabbed my coat out of my bag.

Those people had to have come from the city. If they took
Wildman, I’m sure they found another way down—not quite so precipitous—and nabbed
Teddy, too.

Well, I was going to get them back. Then I’d figure out what
was going on, like how in the hell survivors were living outside city walls
among the wilds, and find Schvesla’s
codex. I stood up and squared my shoulders.

I’d like to see anyone stop me.

TBC

Okay, more coming next week, and you can head over to the other Briefers to read more fiction. Happy Thanksgiving to my US fans! Even if you're not from here, come back and check my blog--maybe you'll find something to be thankful for. *winks*

Friday, November 21, 2014

Cardeno does dominant alpha men with smaller partners well, and I always like that dynamic. The hurt/comfort aspects of the stories are also ones that suck me in, if for nothing more than the fluffy warm endings. It works well with contemporary stories when you are looking to bond with characters and their stories, and that's the main gist of the plot. But when an author writes paranormal, I want paranormal. I expect something interesting and original.

Blue Mountain didn't deliver that.

I could name, without even thinking hard, at least 3 other books in the genre that follow this same exact same pattern--alpha male finds trespassing non-dominant male who's been abused/living as an outcast/rogue, takes him in and 'tames' him, and they end up as mates. The paranormal aspect of the wolves was run of the mill as well. There were no interesting twists or special aspects to the wolves in either animal or human form.

I don't regret buying the book, and I did finish it, but I'll be thinking long and hard about if the sequel will be worth taking a look at.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

It's here again! What are the guys getting up to in the big, wide world this week? Well read on to find out what I wrote, inspired by the prompt, "Welcome to the jungle."

Fortitude Part Seven

“Will!” Teddy’s eyes were huge.

“I see.” I’d considered personal protection and brought
weapons and the portable perimeter warning system. We both carried food, and we
had the tent. But I’d never anticipated a flying animal the size of a steam
engine or water that’d become acid.

“You saved us,” Teddy said to the wildman.

“Stupid. You no go.” He pointed toward the old city we were
headed to and shook his head. He knew it was there, even without a map. “You
go.” The wildman pointed back to our city.

“We can’t. We’re not just out here for fun. I have a
mission.” It was self-appointed, but I’d assessed the pollution in the city and
the dwindling resources. Without Schvesla’s machine to create clean, consistent
energy, the city was doomed. But the dangers were far greater than I’d
anticipated. I knew the water was dangerous, but I thought that was only if we
drank it. My data had been flawed; the old books on the area surrounding the
city had been hard to get my hands on, and apparently woefully out of date.
Maybe….

“If you help us, we’ll help you, too. We’ll help you get
food, and share ours, equally.” He had to be getting game or foraging for
something to be alive. What was a little hardship, in the face of winning the
gratitude and glorification from the entire city? Besides, there was something
about the wildman that drew me in.

He cocked his head, crouched by the water. “More food?” He
licked his cracked lips.

Aha! We had him. “Yes.”

Wildman stood up and stalked up the bank and back into the
trees. Teddy and I scrambled to grab our packs and follow him when he stopped
and waited.

“I wish we could get a drink.” I’d rationed our intake since
I’d known the water was contaminated, but Teddy looked back at the water
regretfully. It looked nasty, but the temptation of all the fluid was there.

“Later, Teddy. We need to get across that water.” I turned
to the wildman. “So, any ideas on how to cross?” I pointed at the opposite
bank.

“Up.” Wildman started walking, weaving his way through the
trees effortlessly.

“So much for getting out of this crap,” Teddy muttered. He
shoved some big leaves out of the way as he ducked under some vines.

“Welcome to the jungle. It can’t go on forever, and it was
definitely thinner across the river.” We climbed over and crawled under as
obstacles as much as we walked, sweat dripping down our foreheads. Wildman’s
short fur skirt thing looked a lot cooler than our trousers and shirts. We kept
going, and I began to grow concerned we’d get too far off our path toward the
city. Suspicion grew that we were maybe being led into a trap. I peered over my
shoulder and all around us.

Scampering up a tree like a squirrel, Wildman was soon a
good fifteen feet up. That’s when I saw it. “A bridge.” It barely qualified,
but there were trees lashed together with vines, forming a rickety crossing
over the narrowest part of the river we’d come across so far.

Getting up the tree was the first challenge. Luckily there
were springy branches quite low to the ground to get us started. Getting across
was another. I walked, one foot in front of the other with my arms outstretched
to keep my balance, but Teddy balked after he wobbled on the first step.

“Crawl, Teddy.”

“I’ll get dirty!” I shook my head, sighing in exasperation.

“Crawl or walk, but you have to get across that water without
falling, and we don’t have all day. Come on, Teddy, you can do it.” Eventually
he ended up crawling, but that took forever as he inched his way over.

He was very cross when he got to the bottom of the tree. His
trousers had tears in both knees. “I hope there’s a better way back,” Teddy
grumbled.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” Teddy shot me
a glare. I shrugged, grinning.

“Shh.” Wildman hushed us.

“What now?” Teddy grabbed my arm. I shook him off and
dropped my hand to my pistol. The jungle sounds around us faded and the world
grew silent. Whatever was out there was big. My mouth was as dry as a desert
even as sweat burned my eyes. I blinked furiously, but didn’t move to wipe my
forehead.

The sudden sound of branches breaking was as loud as a shot,
but it moved away instead of closer. I leaned against the tree, and Teddy
sagged into my side. I hugged him with one arm. Our new guide ignored us and
started walking.

“Guess it’s safe now,” I said. “He sure isn’t much for
talking. Wonder how long he’s been alone?”

I skirted some hanging vines with wicked-looking thorns,
pointing them out to Teddy. He examined them but didn’t touch. “A long time,
I’d guess. More important is why he’s out here.

“If he’d been exiled from our city, we’d know, right? I
mean, they don’t do that, but if they did… people would talk. Maybe the other
cities that went silent were overrun by the outside. Maybe he’s a survivor. If
he lived, maybe others have, too. Maybe he knows where they are. We could bring
the codex, and be able to share this news. Can you imagine how many papers it
would sell? My dad would be ecstatic, and then maybe I could write my book.”
Teddy looked excited for the first time all day. He pulled out his notebook and
started scribbling.

“Hey, do that later, okay? Wildman is losing us.”

“There’s so much I want to write.” He reluctantly put away
his paper. He wiped a handkerchief over his forehead. “I’ll never be able to capture
this muggy heat, though.”

TBC

Okay, so... yeah, Wildman's back! Maybe they will get some answers about his background. If you're in the mood for some more flash, head on over to the Briefers' website or follow these links.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Last spring I had the great experience of meeting some of my fellow Dreamspinner author's, including Kayla Jameth. She's now doing a cover reveal for her new, FIRST, ebook release! I love the premise she writes--and who doesn't love hot men set in a historical period where they went half-clothed by modern standards? LOL So please join me in welcome Kayla to my blog!

A
Spartan Love

by Kayla Jameth

When I conceived of the idea for A Spartan Love a couple of
years ago, I had no idea that the story line would expand to become a trilogy.
In fact, the current novel entitled A Spartan Love began life as a short story called
Taming Theron and was intended to be the prequel/backstory for A Spartan Love.

Taming Theron began as a short story for an anthology.
However, no matter what I did, I couldn't keep the thing under the 7K limit.
Kind of like those cartoons when the box won't stay closed no matter how many
times they put the lid on it and jump up and down. I finally gave up and it is
now a 77K word novel.

It was just intended to give you the necessary background to
understand the subsequent novel, the original A Spartan Love. But that story
has grown until it will be two additional stories in the series: A Tested Love
and A Shared Love.

Why A Spartan Love? The title is actually a bit of a pun.
The story takes place in ancient Sparta, between an elite Spartan warrior known
as a kryptes and a unique Spartan
slave known as a helot. These two social
classes were natural enemies. Hence, any love between members of these classes
would be sparse at best.

Helots were unique to Sparta. Slaves in the ancient world
were chattel—possessions not persons. In Sparta, helots were more like medieval
serfs. They belonged to the land, not an individual, and could not be bought or
sold. The rural helots enjoyed a lot of freedoms, being able to wed and have
families without fear of being sold away from one another. As long as they
produced the required "tribute" every year for their Spartiate, they were pretty much left
alone.

The Spartans (citizens of the city-state, not just people
living in the polis) were vastly
outnumbered by the helot slave population. In order to keep the helots in check
and limit the possibility of a slave revolt, the ephors ritually declared war
on the helots every fall (after the harvest was in, of course). This allowed
any Spartan to kill any helot without risk of ritual pollution/bloodguilt and avoid
any resulting punishment for their deaths. Making it an act of war, not murder.

With nothing more than a knife and a cloak, the kryptes were
expected to learn stealth, how to live off the land, and steal anything they needed
to survive without being seen. But there was a darker side to all this scout
training—think Marines and Black Ops. The kryptes roamed the countryside and
killed any helots who looked too strong, were respected enough to be possible
leaders, and anyone they found outside after dark.

Now imagine, if you will, what would happen if a helot set
out to tame a kryptes.

Alone, Andreas toils on a remote farmstead for a Spartan
overlord. When a kryptes enters his world, Andreas fears for his life. The dread
warriors stalk and kill helots—like Andreas' father—as part of their training.

Andreas sees only one way to save himself: he must tame the
fearsome warrior.

But what began as self-preservation develops into
attraction. Yearning for the company of someone other than his ferret Ictis,
Andreas decides to trust the Spartan warrior and risk the fate that claimed his
father.

Born to rule by the sword, Theron sees the world as his and
acts accordingly, taking everything Andreas offers and reaching for more.
However, love between men in Sparta is considered shameful and requires either
exile or suicide to redeem Sparta’s honor. Now, only the gods can save them
from the terrible price Sparta extracts from men who desire other men.

Excerpt:

"ANDREAS! GET in
here right now. How many times do I have to tell you that the kryptes will kill you if they catch you outside
after dark?"He could hear
his mother's voice as if she were still alive, calling to him from the safety
of their house.

"I'm trying, Mother!" he muttered to her shade. He
would never forget that one of the Spartan warriors had slain his father for
nothing more than being a helot.
Andreas crossed his fingers and flicked them away from his heart in an attempt
to ward off a similar fate.

Andreas scanned his surroundings, his gaze veering between
his home and the tree line beyond the goats' enclosure. The mud-brick hut with
its tidy little garden dominated the otherwise smooth grounds. Silhouetted
against rosy clouds, safety beckoned. However, the encroaching darkness under
the trees drove a shiver up his spine.

He was all alone. Or hoped he was.

A spur of the forest behind him jutted between his house and
his nearest neighbor. Petros lived on the far side, his dwelling hidden from
Andreas' sight. Petros' family would already be safely bundled under their
roof, locked up tight as twilight approached. No helot was foolish enough to
brave the dark and risk death.

Even though the hut didn't look like much, Andreas wanted to
be within the shelter of his home.

But Pan, the aptly named offspring of mischief, had other
ideas. For some reason, when Andreas brought his flock home, the big buck had
resisted entering the enclosure. The rest of the goats were milling about,
following his obdurate example as the last of the daylight bled from the sky
and Andreas grew more desperate.

"Curse you, Pan! If you don't get in there, I'll have
you for dinner. How would you like that?" Knuckles white, he raised his
staff and shook it.

Almost as if he understood, Pan bolted inside the lean-to
with a startled bleat, his harem quick on his heels. Not a moment too soon.
Nerves pushed to the snapping point, Andreas might have been willing to leave
them to fend for themselves. He muttered imprecations as he shoved the brambles
into the opening, blocking their exit. Though disgruntled, he was glad he hadn't
been forced to choose between their well-being and his life.

Leaves rustled in the nearby forest despite the lack of so
much as a breath of wind, and Pan bleated uneasily. Andreas strained to hear
anything else, anything at all. What was out there? A rival buck? Wolves? One
of the kryptes?

Andreas shivered as cold sweat covered him. Please don't let it be one of the deadly
kryptes stalking me, intent on proving himself. The young warriors, the
best Sparta could produce, killed helots for sport and to hone their skills.

The final rays of sunlight faded, leaving muted colors and
hushed twilight in their wake, weighing down his heart with apprehension.
Andreas hoped the kryptes who had been haunting the area didn't consider sunset
to be the definition of "after dark." By decree, the warriors killed
any helot they encountered at night, holding the subjugated population in check
and using terror to quell any revolts before they started.

Glancing warily around, Andreas wondered if he could reach
his home before being attacked. It isn't
dark yet. I can be inside before the last light fades. He couldn't see
anyone, but a good kryptes would be nigh impossible to spot. Drawing a deep
breath, he sprinted toward the hut, his heart pounding.

Nearly there! A
branch snapped, and he lost his footing as he attempted to look over his
shoulder. He scrambled to get on his feet and back inside before….

In his mind's eye, a red-cloaked figure strode calmly up
behind him, a sword held in one fist. "Theos
save me!"

Andreas made the last bit on his hands and knees, too shaken
to regain his feet. The statue of Priapos with its obscenely large phallus
jutting before him guarded his doorway. The god stood ready to protect this
boundary against any trespassers, wielding his prodigious cock like a club.
Having never been in this position before, Andreas had no idea if the deity
would be able to protect him.

He clawed at the door for a moment before he managed to slip
inside. Back pressed to the thick mud-brick wall, he forced himself to draw one
deep shuddering breath after another.

The sound of another twig snapping came through his open
window.

Oh Hades! Someone is out there.

About the Author:

Kayla Jameth grew up on the family farm in Ohio. An unrepentant tomboy, she baled hay and raised cattle, and her father taught her to weld before she graduated from high school.

She attended Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University and later, Texas A&M University in her pursuit of veterinary medicine, taking her far away from her rural roots.

But it wasn’t all hard work for her, her sojourn as the princess of the Celestial Kingdom left her with the title “Sir” and a costume closet the envy of many knights, lords, and ladies.

After declaring for years that she was not an author, Kayla now finds herself writing m/m erotic romance outside of Houston, Texas. While you can take the girl out of the country, you can’t turn her into a city slicker. Kayla would still rather be outside getting down and dirty with the boys.

She shares a full house with her favorite animals: a cat, two guinea pigs, a gerbil, three guppies, as well as her husband, son, and daughter.

Wednesday again! I'm making some crafts for the book fair at my kids' school, driving 3 hours round trip to pick up my 4 year old niece for an overnight before taking her to the airport to meet her mom tomorrow, and just generally wishing I could drop into one of my fictional worlds instead. Ah well, at least I can treat you guys to that, right? Here's another update in the Wednesday Briefer's story, Fortitude, inspired by the prompt: "You kept me up all night."

Fortitude Part Six

“You kept me up all night,” I complained. Teddy was yawning
and griping about the lack of hot chocolate while I packed the tent.

I might have complained more, but having Teddy clinging to
me had been pleasant, even if I was exhausted. “Well, the sun is up so that
bird-like thing shouldn’t be around. We need to keep going, if we’re going to
find the codex.” I’d keep my eyes peeled out for our wildman, though. I had a
feeling he was close.

“Which way does your map say to go?” Teddy crossed his arms
over his chest, grumping under his breath.

“Give me a moment.” I put the rest of the of the tent
supplies in the pack and pulled out a small packet wrapped in brown paper
stashed in the side pocket. “It’s not warm,” I said.

Teddy tilted his head as he reached out for the parcel. “What
is it?”

“Open it.”

“Will I like it?” Teddy licked his lips when he turned it
off. He knew what was inside, as soon as he saw the stamp. He grinned and began
picking at the knot with eager fingers. “Thank you!”

“I thought it might ease your first morning without the
usual cup.” The gooey chocolate buns were best heated and served with coffee or
cocoa, but a jolt of sugar helped sweeten Teddy like nothing else. Watching him
happily chomp away at his treat made me smile.

My breakfast had gone to help tame the wildman, so I went
hungry. I often worked at my projects for long hours, forgoing meals altogether,
so it wasn’t a hardship. I’d suffer a lot more if that was what it took to
achieve my goals.

But Teddy wasn’t like me, and I wouldn’t expect the same out
of him.

The map gave us a path, and my compass gave me the
direction. Teddy was in a much better mood after his breakfast, and he helped
me pack up the perimeter system. “If we hike until midday, we should hit this
point.” I pointed at a section of geometric shapes that took up the rest of the
map. “I think it’s an old city.”

Teddy fiddled with the edges of his coat. “Is it safe?”

I’d only really worried about animals and other creatures. There
wasn’t supposed to be edible food out here. The environment was hostile to
humans—poisonous, even.

But that wasn’t true. The wildman said there was no safe
place, but he’d survived. Was it unsafe out here because there were other
dangerous people around? Was that the true reason the city was sealed and we’d
been cut off from the rest of the world?

My father said, in his youth, there’d been trade with other
cities like ours, but that gradually ended.

“We’ll be careful,” I promised Teddy. I’d thought I was
prepared, ready for all possible issues, but I’d never dreamed up a gigantic bird
or feral humans. Nothing would deter me, though.

“Okay.” Teddy hiked his pack up and tied the straps over his
chest. “I’m ready.”

Our pace was steady and kept our breaks short. We made up a
lot of ground, and the trees began to thin. The sound of water bubbling over
rocks grew louder than the branches and leaves rustling in the wind.

At least my boots went to my knees. Teddy’s weren’t as high,
but hopefully we’d be able to find a crossing that would keep us reasonably
dry. Well, at least not any damper than we already were. The rain had left the
forest dripping, and brushing against any foliage left wet streaks on our
clothes.

There wasn’t many options, though, when we came out on a
bank that funneled us down toward a rocky stream. We walked along the overhang,
but could only find one place that went down gradually toward the water.

“We’ll have to try for those rocks over there.” I pointed to
some boulders sticking out of the water. They looked slick, but the water was
murky green with brown streaks.

“We’ll be fine. If we stay right off the bank, it should
stay shallow.”

Teddy took a deep breath and nodded. “All right.” He hiked
his pack up. “I’m ready.”

I led the way down to the water. “Stay right behind me. Hold
on to my pack if you need to.”

A jerk pulled me backward, right as the toe of my boot
touched the water. “Teddy!” I windmilled my arms, trying to stay upright as I
staggered backward. “What are you doing, pulling on me like that?”

“Stupid! Stupid mans.”

The wildman was back, and he’d pulled Teddy off his feet,
which had yanked me away from the water. I was hoping he’d stick close to us,
but we didn’t have time for any distractions. I didn’t like being in the open;
we had to reach some cover in the city before nightfall.

“Stop that!” Teddy snapped. He rolled away. “You’re filthy!
Don’t touch me.” Teddy’s hands were dirty again. I pulled out a handkerchief
and handed it to him. “How can anyone be that disgusting with water this close?
Why don’t you go wash yourself?” Teddy pointed violently at the river. “Clean.
You know? Clean? Not disgusting.”

“Clean? No clean. Bad.”

Teddy snorted. “Why am I not surprised?” He shoved the
wildman off him and scrambled to his feet. I decided not to mention the dirt
all over the back of his legs.

The wildman hissed and backed away from the water. Teddy’s
push had nearly knocked him in. “Stupid! Bad water.”

“Water isn’t bad. Water is good,” Teddy snapped.

“No!” The wildman tore up a small plant and tossed it at the
water, which instantly began to bubble and hiss, eating the plant in seconds.

“Bad.”

TBC

So, wildman isn't stupid, right? Of course not... he's still alive! But why'd he helping Will and Teddy? More next week! Now head over to some other Briefer's blogs for some more great flash fiction!Wednesday Briefers website

Hey everyone! I’ve very pleased to announce
Dreamspinner has translated Priceless
into German. The release date is November 25th.Priceless
is a romance in which mortals, immortals, and the Greco-Roman god, Cupid
himself, find hot sex, overwhelming passion, and, of course, love.

Sparks ignite when Cupid takes aim at two
mortals in Las Vegas: Randy Jones, an average guy on a company vacation, looks
into Garrett’s eyes at a craps table and time stands still. Throwing aside
everything he believes, Randy engages in a torrid two-night affair with
Garrett—only to panic when he realizes he’s fallen in love.

Cynical billionaire Garrett Shiffler has
everything money can buy, and most of his dates can’t see past the dollar
signs. Life has taught him that innocence and love are figments of the
imagination. But when Randy disappears, taking with him feelings Garrett
thought he’d never know, Garrett wages the most important battle of his life to
win Randy's love—but this time he fights with his heart, not his bank account.

Meanwhile, Cupid wonders what happened.
His golden arrows never fail unless the Fates interfere. If Garrett wants to
win Randy back, he’s going to have to do it on his own, because the Fates have
other plans for Cupid.

M.A.
Church

M.A. Church is a true Southern belle who spent
many years in the elementary education sector. Now she spends her days lost in
fantasy worlds, arguing with hardheaded aliens on far-off planets, herding her
numerous shifters, or trying to tempt her country boys away from their fishing
poles. It’s a full time job, but hey, someone’s gotta do it!

When not writing, she’s exploring the
latest M/M novel to hit the market, watching her beloved Steelers, or sitting
glued to HGTV. That’s if she’s not on the back porch tending to the demanding
wildlife around the pond in the backyard. The ducks are very outspoken. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, and
they have two children.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Here again... with the lovely Wednesday Briefers flash group! Oh, what a good day it is! I'm determined to be cheerful. Though, I can't say as my characters are in the same boat, lol. This week's prompt was inspired by "I hate the dark!" Would I do something to my characters in the dark? Nooo..... okay, maybe I would! Muahahahahaha!

Fortitude Part Five

“Who do you think he is?” Teddy whispered.

I shook my head. “No idea. He’s not completely wild, though.
He wasn’t born out here.”

Teddy frowned. “How do you know? Oh wait”—he held up one hand—“no
one can survive out here, much less a baby.”

“Clearly they can, Teddy, or he’d not be here.” Sometimes
Teddy’s slower thought processes annoyed me. I found myself explaining a lot to
him, which was often frustrating. “He’s seen bread; he knew it was edible. He’s
not seen food preserved, hence his inability to open the cheese. Did you hear
the alarm go off?”

“No.” Teddy still looked confused.

“So he avoided the perimeter alarms—as if he knew they were
at least a threat to his surveillance. He also wasn’t scared off by either the
light from the lantern or the shot like a wild creature would. He’s rough, and
only semi-coherent, but he’s no savage.” I pursed my lips.

“Who he is and where he comes from is of great interest to
me, however.” The wildman, for lack of a better name for him, had bitten the
cheese, through the wrapper, and busily licked at the hole he’d made, before he
shoved one finger inside the package and tore it open.

I kept the lantern light low, and peered into the shadows
outside the perimeter. Was he alone? What was he so scared of? I could only
learn so much through observation.

“Are there more, with you?” I pointed out into the darkness.
The wildman cocked his head as he licked his fingers. I shuddered to think of
where they’d been. “More people, like us”—I gestured at myself and Teddy—“or
like you?”

“More?” The cheese was gone, though he searched through the
leftover plastic for any morsel uneaten. His eyes lasered in on my pack. He
crept closer.

I reached inside and tore off a small bite of bread. “Are
there more people?” I asked slowly. He looked at my face and then at my hand
holding the bread. I waited.

“No more.” He patted his chest. “Me.” He narrowed his eyes,
looking beyond me and Teddy into the trees. “Bad here.”

Did he mean here in the woods specifically? Or outside the
city in general?

“More?” he asked plaintively. I could hear his stomach
growling. It meant eating into our stores, but I’d calculated a buffer of
provisions, so I wasn’t too concerned. Besides, he was a half-starved wretch—he
wouldn’t be able to eat much. I threw him the bread.

He was about to stuff it into his mouth when he froze. “No
light. No light.” He leapt forward, knocking the lantern out of my hand before
I realized he was coming for us. The night fell darker around us for the
absence, lit only by the thin laser beams.

“What?” Teddy gasped and choked with the wildman jumped over
me and onto him, knocking both of us over. I went for my sword, drawing it
partway from its sheath, but all he did was slap a hand over Teddy’s mouth.
Teddy bucked wildly but couldn’t dislodge his attacker.

“Shh,” he hissed. “No sound. No move.”

Then we heard it. Wings, flapping through the air, above us.
A dark shape blotted out the stars above us, its wingspan so great I could
scarcely believe it. It was black as pitch and the only way we could see it was
by the absence of the starlight. What the hell was that? I’d never heard of any
flying beast so large, nor had one ever flown over the city.

It circled the clearing, its wide wings outstretched as it
banked in a circle. I could only imagine the size of the mouth on something
that large, and I assumed it would easily be able to swallow a man whole. My
heart raced as I searched for my gun, for all the good that would do if it
dove.

The wildman didn’t get off Teddy until it stopped circling,
and we lost the sound of the creature’s flight as it left in search of other
prey. Teddy rolled over, gagging. He scrubbed his face with the front tail of
his shirt. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

I wouldn’t have wanted those filthy hands on my skin either.
“What was that?” I asked.

“Bad. Swallow up all. Nighttime quiet. No sound, no light or
bad.”

Perhaps the creature didn’t have a name. But if it were
drawn to light and sound, why didn’t they approach the city? The council….

Clearly the condition of the outside was not what the council claimed.

Teddy crawled over to me, leaning against me, wiping the
back of his hand over his mouth. “Will….”

I put my arm around him. “It’s okay. You’re fine.”

He shuddered. “I hate the dark.”

“I know.” I squeezed his shoulder. “Is there a safe place to
go? To make light and sound?”

“Safe?” the wildman repeated. He narrowed his eyes. He
pointed behind us. “You go. Safe there. You go now.” He curled his lip.

Did he think I would let something like one gigantic flying
bird deter me from my mission? Besides, if the city was so safe, and he knew
where it was, why hadn’t he gone there? I shook my head. “No. We won’t go back
to the city. Where do you come from? Is there safe?”

“No stay.” Then he jumped straight through one of the
highest gaps in the laser grid surrounding our camp. He’d made other leaps, but
nothing like that.

“Amazing.”

How had he learned to do that?

“Are we going to follow him?”

“With who knows what out there? No.” I wanted to find the
wildman again, but we had a mission to complete. “The codex is more important.”

“So we aren’t going home?”

“No, Teddy. Besides, I have a feeling our visitor won’t go
too far. I want to talk to him again.” I smiled. Another mystery….

Monday, November 3, 2014

Thank you to everyone who retweeted and shared my post, or took the time to comment on my blog. I'm sure you all want to know who won the $5 Amazon gift card.

Today's Winner Is:

Kathy!

Thanks again, and keep watch on my blog. More serial stories, other than the Wednesday Briefs, are starting again in the next few weeks, and I'll be hosting several author and eBook features, as well as some more contests!

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Let's see who's paying attention here still! I just re-released Pricolici, now 56k in length, as an self-published eBook. For this week only, you can get your copy for the same price as the original, just $2.99 before it goes back up to $3.99. And... one person to comment here today will get a $5 Amazon GC!!

When his alpha kicked him out, Tucker heads south—to unclaimed territory—or so he thinks. Shane sent him right into Pricolici territory. They're ancient lupes who police their kind to keep the peace and ensure their secret stays a secret, and Tucker expected to be killed. No one likes a submissive lupe, but Stelian claims him instead. And Tucker isn’t a lupe at all. But what the hell is a hultan?

Except:

“Are you trying to incite a riot in my house?”

“Go
to your room,” Tucker repeated, ignoring the rest of what Shane said. He was
sick of being ordered to hide all the time. “Like I’m a little fucking kid or
something. Seriously, Shane?” He stared at his alpha, crossing his arms over
his chest.

Shane
snarled. “Don’t push me, Tucker.” The afternoon sun coming in the window
couldn’t the faint yellow of his eyes as Shane’s wolf started to show. “Go to
your room. Now.”

“Fine.”
Tucker slunk down the hall. It wasn’t his fault his hormones were out of whack,
but if he didn’t follow his alpha’s orders, he would face punishment.

Sometimes
being the lowest ranked lupe of his haitas sucked. Of all the lupes that lived
in their territory, his was the weakest. His nature was far more human than the
others, and shifting took him forever by comparison. The big changes he’d
expected on his twentieth birthday, when he’d finally become a full-fledged
member of the haitas and gain some status, hadn’t gone at all like he wanted.

Of
course, reading about nineteenth century America sucked even more than being
ordered to his room. He yawned, ready for another nap. He’d slept nearly two
hours during the meeting Shane had refused to let him attend, but it didn’t
feel like he’d slept at all. Maybe the past few years were catching up to him,
now that he had more down time than he knew what to do with. Tucker had been in
an accelerated degree program, and taking time off was killing his schedule.
He’d had a plan—study hard, get a teaching degree with a minor in history, and
get the heck out of his Alpha’s house and earn some respect.

Of
course, his birthday had changed everything—but not in a way anyone could’ve
forseen. Now he spent most of his time studying alone.

It
wasn’t like there was much else to do, so he did a lot of reading when he was
ordered to his room. Tucker had a small room in Shane’s house, furnished with a
twin bed, a desk, and a whole lot of not much else. Well, Tucker had stacks of
books against the wall, mostly textbooks and cheap used books, but that was it.
No TV, no game system, though he did have a radio.

Lupe
hearing being what it was, he usually wore his headphones if he wanted to
listen to the radio. Tucker’s senses weren’t much better than human,
contributing to his place at the bottom of the haitas, and what was quiet to
him wasn’t quiet enough. He’d endured more than a few of Shane’s lectures about
his appalling taste in music.

Tucker’s
stomach growled. “Time for a study break.” He glanced at the clock. It was
after ten, late enough that there probably wasn’t anyone still hanging around.
Shane considered taking a shower first. Sometimes he could cover his scent well
enough that it didn’t entice anyone. It’d been six months since his first
shift—six months since he threw his haitas into chaos. He’d discovered a few
tricks early on, like astringent soap hiding his scent for a brief amount of
time after a shower.

Tucker
rubbed his eyes, still crusty from the unplanned nap he’d taken; he was tired
all the time, even though he was sleeping more than ever. He’d had to drop out
of his classes for the semester; there were too many lupes on campus for him to
stay in class. More than one had caused a disruption in class trying to remind
him of his place in the haitas hierarchy. Dominant assholes. His stomach
growled again and hunger warred with his exhaustion.

“Screw
it.” Tucker cracked open his door. He’d skipped dinner, too, unwilling to deal
with the hassle of dealing with the betas who stayed after the monthly meeting.
A quick peek told him the hall was empty. All Tucker wanted was a quick
sandwich and some apples. Maybe a cookie or two.

Shane’s
mate made excellent chocolate chip cookies, and Tucker had been tormented by
the scent of the soft, gooey cookies baking all afternoon. They were best warm,
but he wasn’t picky. Tucker hurried out of his room and down the hall to the
kitchen. The creaks of his footsteps were loud in the quiet.

Meat.
His wolf was pushing him toward the tub of roast beef leftovers. They’d make a
great cold sandwich with some ketchup. He slapped his late dinner together and
grabbed an apple and some cookies for later. He’d almost made back to his room
when Martin, one of Shane’s betas, stepped out of the guest bathroom. He froze.

Martin
sniffed the air. He turned toward Tucker. “Smells good.”

“Shit.”
Hopefully he was talking about Tucker’s sandwich. Tucker thrust the plate
toward the beta. “Here. Take it.”

The
other lupe’s eyes turned yellow. He raised his lips in a silent snarl. He
smacked the plate out of Tucker’s hands. It crashed to the floor; the plate
broke and his apple went rolling toward the living room. His heart about to
beat out of chest, Tucker took a single step sideways toward his door. He
didn’t need this. Not again.

“Martin.
Calm down. You don’t like me, remember?” Martin had always avoided Tucker. He
had no use for a lupe as weak as Tucker. Tucker kept talking. Sometimes he
could avoid a disaster if he talked long enough, giving the lupe a chance to
work past his instincts. He just had to get… passed… shit. Tucker had tried to
avoid touching Martin, but their arms barely brushed together.

“Mine.”
Martin slammed into Tucker, shoving him into the wall. Pain radiated from the
back of his head where it bounced off the corner of a picture frame. Martin’s
weight on his chest knocked the wind out of him.

“Mine.”
Martin claimed his lips forcefully. Tucker had nowhere to go; he was pinned. He
tried to keep his lips shut; the beta wasn’t even gay! Martin growled, then bit
down on Tucker’s bottom lip, drawing blood.

Tucker
whined. He shoved on Martin’s shoulders desperately. “No, no, no.” He shook his
head, fighting to get away. Martin ignored his struggles. He reached up and
yanked on one of Tucker’s arms, using that and his hold on Tucker’s neck to
spin him and shove him back against the wall.

Barely
able to move his head in time, Tucker’s cheek slammed into the picture. He
heard a crack, but he wasn’t sure if it was his face or the picture frame
cracking. He tried to push off the wall, gaining a few inches of distance, only
to collapse again when Martin shoved his chest against Tucker’s back.

“Get
off me!” Tucker shouted. He felt like his elbow was going to break, but he
fought almost mindlessly. He had to get Martin to let go. He had to get to his
room. He’d be safe in his room. Martin growled, then thrust against Tucker. His
erection was an iron bar against Tucker’s ass.

“Mine.”
The claws on Martin’s hand raked down Tucker’s stomach as he reached between
Tucker and the wall to get at the front of his pants. He was out of his mind,
drunk on Tucker’s fucked up pheromones. This could not be happening.

Before
Tucker could shout again, Martin was ripped away from him. It wrenched Tucker’s
elbow, and he howled in agony. He tucked his arm across his chest and tried to
hold the torn front of his pants together with the other.

“Get
out of here!” Shane snarled. Tucker didn’t know if he was talking to him or
Martin, but he rushed to his door and slammed it shut. He locked it and then
shoved his desk until it blocked the door. He backed away, panting, until the
back of his knees hit the edge of his mattress.

Tucker
collapsed onto the bed, still staring at the door. He could hear the fight on
the other side. A few of the lupes in the haitas had attempted to dominate him,
and a few had sniffed around him like they were thinking of going further, but
no one had attempted to claim him so forcefully.

If
Shane hadn’t come….

“What
in the hell were you thinking?” Shane snarled at him. “I told you to stay in
your room.”

“I
was hungry. How was I to know he was still here?”

Shane
snorted in disgust. “If your wolf wasn’t so worthless you would’ve scented him.
I thought you’d be worth something when you matured, but you’ve done nothing
but cause problems since you shifted. I had to beat Martin unconscious. He
ignored my commands, because of you. This is not who we are; we are not
beasts.”

“I
didn’t do it on purpose,” Tucker protested. “None of this is my fault. I don’t
know why—”

“It
doesn’t matter anymore, Tucker. This haitas is too big, and I have too much to
do running it, to keep dealing with this crap. You’re an adult now, and you
found your wolf. My duty to your parents is done.”

“And
how are you going to do that? Everywhere you go, you cause chaos. The humans
are even starting to take notice. I won’t risk this haitas for one wolf.” Shane
shook his head. “I’m sorry, but this is the way it has to be.”

Tucker
slumped in his chair. He’d had a lot of meetings with Shane in his
office—Tucker had never been the most obedient of lupes, even before he
shifted—but he never thought he’d be kicked out of his haitas. His whole world
was imploding, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

“What
am I supposed to do?” He looked up at Shane, at the alpha who’d raised him.

“Go
south. You get about three days past here, and you’re in unclaimed territory.
Wear cologne; that ought to hide your… deficiency from the humans.” Shane
tossed an envelope at Tucker. “This is enough cash to get you out of my
territory. I’ve released your account. Your trust from your parents’ share of
the haitas funds as well as their social security.

“If
you are careful, you can finish school and have enough to live on. I’ll gas up
your truck tonight, and you leave first thing in the morning.” Shane stood up,
and Tucker knew he was dismissed.

Nothing
could’ve prepared Tucker for the pain he felt. He was being exiled, banished
from the haitas—the only family he could remember. Tucker had wanted freedom,
but not… not like this.

“Go
pack your stuff.”

﻿

﻿

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